Born on July 29: Stella Rose Gahan, like father, like daughter, but without excess

She was born in 1999 in New York. Stella Rose is the only child of Dave Gahan, the singer of Depeche Mode.

Stella Rose grew up in a family where art, and music in particular, held a prominent place. Her mother instilled in her the daily discipline of writing, while her father's fame provided a unique artistic environment. But her parents insisted that she live as normal a childhood as possible in a New York that was rather indifferent to foreign glories. Even today, without hiding her ancestry, Stella Rose prefers not to highlight her famous surname. Even though it's obviously an open secret, the singer-songwriter intends to build a career on her own. And she has no shortage of arguments to achieve this...

She readily cites Patti Smith and Nick Cave among her major influences, but also draws inspiration from everyday New York life, observing people, and doesn't mind being sometimes labeled as a goth. In 2020, the pandemic gave her the time to fully immerse herself in composition. She assembled fragments collected over the years to create her first album, "Eyes of Glass," produced in collaboration with producer Yves Rothman. It was released in 2023.

A heterogeneous mix of postmodern folk, lo-fi rock, and both industrial and indie. She formed her first band, The Dead Language, and regularly played clubs in Brooklyn and Manhattan. But she also doesn't hesitate to perform solo, without losing any of her seductive power. In 2024, the EP "Hollybaby" allowed her to expand and refine her repertoire.

Refusing to follow the excesses of the star system, Stella Rose insists on the importance of remaining true to herself, despite the weight of the Gahan name: "My mother taught me that my father's job is not my identity. In New York, no one cares about it and that's a blessing." However, she didn't refuse to perform as the opening act for Depeche Mode at Madison Square Garden in New York in 2023. The opportunity was obviously too good not to grab!

(MH with Stéphane Soupart - Photo : © Etienne Tordoir)

Photo: Stella Rose on stage at Ancienne Belgique in Brussels, Belgium, on June 10, 2024